7 Responses to Nous sommes tous Parisiens

Afraid it’s a little too late 2b Mid-East isolationists & we now must deal w/ISIL. We broke it, we own the horrific inhumanitarian results, & also that we have destabilized the entire area. Even the Russians are afraid of the
(Originally posted Friday, Nov 13. 2015 01:07 PM)
destabilization we caused, as unchecked, it could spill into their country. The current attacks use mostly rag-tag Kurdish forces, with U.S. air cover & spec forces on ground (away from the fighting) providing guidance & intel. Spec ops probably ready as req. We will occasionally suffer losses but have little choice.

And if the nations in the region don’t supply sufficient troops (cannon-fodder), which after all is what we mostly mean when we talk about regional state involvement, are we going to stand idly by & suffer attacks as ISIL becomes more & more emboldened and/or watch as other countries in the region react too late and thus fall into anarchy?

Bernie was exactly right when he said the U.S. does not have a good track record when we enforce regime changes. The nations of the region know we have put ourselves over a barrel on Iraq & now Syria, and they are going to play hardball with us. Many are afraid to provide troops fearing it will lead to repercussions such as attacks within their own countries. They also (rightly) feel that their countries didn’t destabilized the region – it was the U.S. – & thus it is our responsibility to solve the problem.

What we are dealing with now in the Mid-East (and with our economy) are the consequences of brilliant thinkers such as George W Bush. We can only send so many troops for so long before it bankrupts our country. So Obama tried to establish an end date on which we would leave, but the corrupt administration we left in Iraq couldn’t adequately govern or defend itself. We now seem to be learning a second lesson – that quick strike special ops, combined with airpower (and yes drones) – plus whatever rag-tag assistance we might get from elsewhere might at least help control the anarchy we left. Hopefully this strategy will work, both in Iraq & Syria.

Perhaps Russia will soon really be our partner. See: http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/15/politics/paris-attacks-obama-summit/
11-15-15 Antalya, Turkey “President Barack Obama vowed Sunday to renew U.S. efforts against ISIS… Underscoring his point, an intense discussion between Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin was caught on cameras, showing the two men leaning in and gesturing sharply as they made their points. Later an Obama aide said the two men appeared to reach an agreement on political path forward in Syria — though U.S. officials said a substantial shift in strategy toward combating the Islamic State was not in the works.”

Putin has probably been right all along in that fighting ISIL is much more important than the U.S. attempting to effect yet another regime change in Syria, which would only leave an even greater power vacuum in the region. However. unlike many Libs, I don’t necessarily feel that HRC had it wrong when she proposed a no-fly zone in Syria. I think we can tell Russian bombers & aircraft from the helicopters Assad is using to drop barrel bombs, etc. We wouldn’t need to necessarily enforce a total no-fly zone, but we might occasionally take out targets of opportunity and thus let Asad know he can’t firebomb his own people with total impunity.

BTW, drones are becoming incredibly cheap & easy to make. Prototype drones are already being made on which you install a cellphone as the brain. The drone itself (less the cellphone) is expected to only cost a few hundred dollars. The cellphone has virtually all the electronics and computing power needed: GPS, maps, guidance computing, gyro-sensors, camera, communications – all in an inexpensive mass-produced package.

If you think U.S. operated drones are a problem, wait until the terrorists figure out how to use cellphone-based drones flying low & slow beneath conventional radars. Remember at least one drone already made it to the White House grounds. These are going to be almost impossible to stop.

The United States, Turkey and their allies want Assad out. This weekend in Turkey, Obama huddled with Putin during a working lunch and the two agreed on the need for a Syrian-led transition including U.N.-mediated talks, the White House official said.

Putin and Obama talked “extensively”, Russian news agencies cited top Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov as saying. “Strategic objectives relating to the fight against the Islamic State are, in principle, very similar, but there are differences on the tactics side,” he said.

ISIS Apocalypse: Armageddon Coming, Islamic State Group Is Doomsday Cult, Says Expert. “The shrewd leaders of the Islamic State combined 2of the most powerful yet contradictory ideas in Islam- the return of the Islamic Empire & the end of the world- in2 a mission & a message that shapes its strategy & inspires its army of zealous fighters,” according2 McCants’ book. “They have defied conventional thinking about how 2wage wars & win recruits.” http://www.ibtimes.com/isis-apocalypse-armageddon-coming-islamic-state-group-doomsday-cult-says-expert-2115100

It is interesting that ISIL chose 2down a Russian airliner @ a time that the West was crying that Russian bombers were only going after the enemies of Assad & not at all against ISIL. In addition, it now appears that the U.S. has 2this point been going somewhat soft against ISIL, at least in Syria, in hopes of contain ISIL 2just there & perhaps most significantly, 2enforce (yet another) regime change – this time against Assad in Syria. R u crazy Obama? The enemy of r enemy is not in this case r friend! Also, be careful what u wish for, u may get it.

Beginning ~10yrs ago, Moscow-based Kaspersky Labs tried2 damage rival competitor’s reputations by tricking their programs into classifying benign files as malicious. Per 2 former employees, some such attacks were ordered by

(Wednesday, Dec 13. 2017 12:50 AM)

KL’s co-founder Eugene Kaspersky, in part 2retaliate against rivals who he felt were aping his software rather than dev their own. KL’s engineers would take files like common critical drivers & inject bad code into them so they appeared infected. KL would then upload the doctored files anonymously2 VirusTotal flagging them as infected. Other AV engineers would then visit VT & create signatures that would flag all sim files. This often caused their AV programs 2quarantine perfectly good drivers from ppl’s computers causing system problems. http://goo.gl/fssZ1B

I guess it all boils down2 what 1 believes gives meaning to mankind’s life. To me, man will only have significance if he survives the Darwinian nature of the universe in the long term. In only a billion yrs, r sun will have brightened

(Tuesday, Dec 12. 2017 04:59 AM)

enough2 boil the oceans. If man is 2survive, it will only be cuz of his unique intelligence & ability2 fav reshape his enviro. There is nothing else particularly special about man, espec not his ability 2practice cut-throat Darwinistic behaviors. If the nat Darwinian path led2 immortal life, we would see evidence of an entire universe teaming w/life that has survived the ages. We don’t. So man must uniquely fight against the natural Darwinian order & instead build the strongest poss united society in which all individuals & earth’s life forms thrive.

4 Jeff – 1st of all u wrote that I think gov’t should buy everything 4 everybody. Obviously, that’s false. Now u write that I want gov’t 2 buy baseball tix 4 poor kids. I don’t oppose such legislation but my preference is that the City of Baltimore should condition use of its city by O’s upon an agreement by team 2 distribute free or low-cost tix to poor Baltimoreans.

For Hal – You do think the government should buy tickets to baseball games for the less fortunate. What’s the difference between that and a voucher to a restaurant? The point stands. You think the government has the authority to spend someone else’s money on whatever you deem appropriate.

For jeff linder – not everything. I don’t think the gov’t should provide people with yachts or vouchers to eat at restaurants & not at the expensive others since I would b subject 2 same taxes that I support. But it’s easier 2 attack arguments I don’t make.

The EIC has been much abused. Ppl that dont even work r propositioned by dishonest tax preparers who promise ppl they will get a tax refund if they just pay a fee. Self-Emp_Income is declared & the EIC is requested. By law, IRS pays

(Sunday, Dec 10. 2017 06:56 PM)

refunds quick, & only later it discovers the person never paid SEI taxes. The tax preparer & their fee r long gone; the person now owes IRS back the EIC. Woe 2the person that actually recvd need-based benefits (SSI or welfare) during the tax yr, as IRS records now show they had SEI they didnt declare. So welfare/SSI also want their money back, & usually such persons already at poverty level. This is the type of issue I tried 2expain2 Hal re accurate gas tax refunds. Although computerization slowly making this better, such programs rife w/fraud & bureaucratic messes.

Jeff isnt proposing a true GMI. The “earned income tax credit” he mentions already exists – IF u have low-pay job, then u may get a tax rebate. This also much like current Repub proposals 2req work 2get Medicaid. Prob socially

(Sunday, Dec 10. 2017 02:32 PM)

insulated ppl dont recog is there r many that have educational/mental/physical/economic-based issues such that they cant get/hold a job in today’s economy where workers compete w/3rd world. Sometimes ppl like Jeff will have eyes opened if something really bad happens in their lives. Gen working population is always so surprised how few services there really r when it is they that need help – but even then they often hang on2 dogma: Everybody but them (espec those dark “foreigners”) r cheaters/liars & that’s why there is nothing avail 4them when they need it.

Tweeden’s colleague John Phillips /groomed/ her 2release pic; Tweeden had no idea Phillips & Stone were hard right buddies. Arnold says Sean Hannity had wanted the photo since 2007 but she refused him & that Tweeden never wanted Franken fired. Arnold posted email purportedly showing Stone trying2 whip up story2 gossip columnists even b4 Tweeden story aired, though a pseudonym Russian nm was used & Tom has no proof email was Stone’s doing. DC & US will be vacant if we all r held 2such high stds over entire lifetime. We need Al in the Senate. http://goo.gl/oLWfA3

For halginsberg – The government spends about $1T in means tested programs. That’s about $3K per person. For illustration only:. GMI-Earned Income=Refund. That way there is no cost in benefits to working.

For halginsberg – That’s funny Hal. You think it’s someone else’s duty to spend money on things you think are important. I think you should spend your money on what you think is important. Re GMI it’s a workable solution as a replacement for all welfare programs.

For halginsberg – It’s not the federal government’s business to ensure all citizens have health care, a roof over their heads and a warm place to sleep Hal. If you know someone like in dire need why aren’t you helping them?
And yes, I support a guaranteed income.

For jeff linder – I asked u earlier how u propose to ensure all citizens have health care, a roof over their heads, and a warm place to sleep. I think u support a guaranteed minimum income. Is that correct?